Free Love's Battle (True Blue Trilogy) by Angela Hayes Page A

didn’t like to be kept waiting.
    “Since he’s with his dad today, they’re probably in the lounge having a drink or grabbing a bite to eat. You might want to head out the back way if you’re playing hard to get.”
    Giving Mr. Dillon a parting wink, I headed for the back door. Unfortunately Hope would be waiting for me in the lobby directly off the lounge before heading up to the spa. Running around the building I hurried through the glass doors.
    Hope had her back to me looking at the pictures and framed newspaper clipping that had accumulated on the wall over the years.
    Crossing the tile floor at a quick pace, I drew up fast when I caught the sound of male laughter coming from the bathrooms. Oooh, Hope don’t look, don’t look, I screamed in my mind as I whirled around looking for a place to hide. Sure that if anyone was watching they were getting a good laugh at my expense.
    I dove onto the sofa I spotted, snatched a copy of the Wall Street Journal in the process from the side table and buried my face in. As curiosity overrode my terror I couldn’t resist stealing a side peek as the four man group came into view. Danton and his father, their looks to similar to be anything else were joined by the blonde headed man I’d seen beside him last night at the restaurant, and an older man I recognized as being Melanie’s father, Antonio.
    Again, as if he knew I was there, Danton looked in my direction. Hastily I tried to focus on the article I’d turned to, my heart pounding in my ears.
    Had he seen me? Was he coming this way with the intentions of doing me bodily harm? What about bodily pleasure? Would he stand over me demanding recompense for the stunt I’d pulled just forty-eight hours before? Why oh why didn’t’ I think things through any better? I could have kidnapped the groom, held him hostage until the next day. Or I could have hired a private detective to take pictures of his indiscretions and had they delivered them to Melanie. Why had I confronted her cousin?
    “Aaaah.” I screamed, throwing the newspaper into the air, a hand clamping down on my shoulder.
    “What are you doing?”
    I looked up from the sofa to glare balefully at Hope. “Nothing. I was just, um. That article on stocks and bonds caught my attention.”
    “You don’t have any stocks and bonds.”
    “Yeah, well, I’ve been considering some. They might be a good investment.” I lied, picking the newspaper up from the floor.
    Hope called my bluff. “Run into Danton again?” She knew me so well.
    “Yeah. He just about had me in the Pro Shop.”
    “Mr. Dillon know him?”
    “Yep, his father owns an advertising agency down at the Harbor. His mother’s a formal model, Chanton, something or other.” Standing, I returned the newspaper to the table I’d plucked it from.
    Hope rolled her eyes, less than happy with my meager supply of information. “Oh Lord, come on. I need a massage and a drink.”
    “Me too.” It was hard work avoiding what fate threw at you. I wasn’t sure how
    Hope had been doing it all these years.
    “So, who’s paying?” She asked as we waited for the elevator.
    “You are.”
    “I am not.”
    “Yes you are.”
    “You are.”
    “You are.”
    Bickering like children we stepped into the elevator.
    “I’ll pay for you, you pay for me.” Hope reasonably suggested.
    “Sounds good.” I agreed.

Chapter 13
    Past Life I
    I knew when I told Everett just two days ago of Isabella that long dormant memories would resurface. So the dream didn’t take me completely by surprise. Deep in slumber I welcomed the sight of the beautiful child who was long grown and long dead.
    This was my fifth life and in it I was known as Thalia, my sister Hope as Kyna and Faith as Gaea. We were the personal servants, and more importantly close friends, to Isabella d’Angouleme. Only daughter of Count d’Angouleme and great granddaughter to the King of France. This was the eve of her wedding to Hugh IX d’Lusignan, son of the